There is something about music that seems to bring people together. On Oct. 3, it did just that, as almost 700 musicians from across Harlingen CISD took the field at Boggus Stadium for the second annual Band Night.

Bands from HCISD’s five middle schools and two comprehensive high schools showcased their musical abilities in a spectacular celebration of music education.

“What an incredible show we saw this evening. We are making great strides in the arts. Our band program continues to grow and is doing exceptionally well,” said Superintendent Dr. Art Cavazos. “These students put in a lot of work throughout the summer and the school year. I am super proud of them. I also want to thank our HCISD families and music educators because their support continues to help make this program a success.”

This event is an opportunity for high-school students to show off their UIL marching shows that they’ve been meticulously fine-tuning since the summer months and inspiring the younger generation to follow in their footsteps. For middle-school students, it is a sneak peek of what it’s like to be part of a high-school marching band and feeling the thrill of performance while hundreds of spectators are watching.

There is much to be said about the benefits of music education. Aside from the accolades and joy of competition, learning music allows students to tap into multiple skill sets simultaneously.

“Music education one-hundred percent gets a child’s brain, both the left side and the right side, to work at the same time,” said Ronnie Rios, Director of Music Programs. “There aren’t a lot of activities that do that, but music education is absolutely one of those.”

Side by side, Middle-school and high-school performers brought the evening to a close in a combined performance of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

In May 2018, HCISD received the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. Each year, in addition to TMEA and UIL events, HCISD ensembles participate in Region, Area, State, National & International competitive events. And, each year HCISD proudly produces outstanding results with students attaining awards at the highest levels of performance.

Driven by the district’s success in music education, HCISD took on the ambitious task of launching a new learning experience with a focus on the arts beginning in the 2018-2019 school year – Lee Means Elementary Fine Arts Academy.